


Forget the Present

by rapono



Series: Tales of Reyes [6]
Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Based on RP, Gabe is gay, M/M, One Shot, desiring the old days
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-31
Updated: 2016-10-31
Packaged: 2018-08-28 02:08:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,233
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8426797
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rapono/pseuds/rapono
Summary: The Reaper seeks out his Solider, desiring to live in the past.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Another from the collection fic that I felt needed more attention. 
> 
> Changing the "Tales of Reyes" into a series instead of one-shot collection fic. I'll be posting the RPs as separate fics from now on.
> 
> Shout-out to my anonymous roleplay partner, you are _the bomb!_

_This is a conversation between Jack Morrison // Soldier 76 and Reaper (Overwatch)._

 

"Hello again, Jack."

The soldier stiffened, his gloved fingers tightening around the grip of the gun as he drew it up against his chest, bringing it back into a readied position. 

"Gabriel Reyes." venom laced his words as he turned slowly on his heel to stare at the man standing directly behind him. "I thought I'd never have to look at you again."

"Hmph, nice to see you too." He didn't have his shotguns out, and seemed oddly calm.

"I know it wasn't a coincidence that you just happened to float through here... so I'm going to ask you: what the hell is it that you want?" He never raised his gun towards the man, as though it were against some secret morale of his, "Because the last time we encountered each other, the circumstances weren't exactly in my favor."

"Heh, sorry about that. It's not like I was lied to about your death." He crossed his arms, voice full of sarcasm. "I came here looking for you."

"It wasn't just you who thought I was dead, Reyes. Don't take it personally that I wouldn't come running to you right after what you did."

"Heh, I figured that much. So how are you doing old man?"

It took everything in him to keep from replying as if there weren't a damn thing in the world that had changed, for despite the harsh feeling of betrayal that plagued him every night, he felt the unfathomable need for the way that things were before.

"I'm doing better than ever now that I haven't got anyone in my way, no one to slow me down."

"Oh?" He approached Jack, striding towards him with confidence. Jack quickly stepped back, raising his weapon with some hesitation.

"I don't have anything for you, Gabriel--"

"Who said I wanted something _from_ you." He chuckled, covering the distance Morrison stepped away from him. "No, it's you I want."

The barrel of his automatic was inches from Reaper's chest with each step he took, setting Jack's heart to painfully pounding in his ribcage.

"I'm warning you," he growled, "Just because I didn't have it in me to stop you before doesn't mean I don't now. We aren't the same people we used to be, Gabriel... I see that now.. _you_ showed me that."

"You've got one thing wrong Morrison, I'm pretty sure I'm not even a person anymore."

Jack slowly allowed his weapon to lower back towards the ground as he braced himself, waiting as Gabriel paused inched in front of him, his voice low and menacing. "You're right. You gave up your humanity when you destroyed everything I'd come to care for."

Reaper said nothing to this. The mask prevented Morrison from telling what his expression was. Reaper moved a hand to Jack's face, before finally speaking again. 

"You weren't the intended victim."

The soldier's breath hitched in the back of his throat as claw-like fingertips brushed against his face.

"No? Then who was, Gabriel? My friends? My colleagues?"

"I was blinded with rage, Jack. I didn't think about the consequences." 

He removed Morrison's mask. Jack's fingertips wrapped around Reyes' wrist, keeping him from pulling the mask much farther away. It was obvious now, the look of panic etched into his expression, now that his only line of defense had been stolen away from him.

"You could have talked to me, Gabe. Don't I mean more to you than that?!"

"I thought you were dead, remember?" 

Reyes tried to pull away the mask away from him. Jack's hold on Reaper's wrist tightened.

"So you did... Seems like I didn't get as lucky as some, huh?"

Reaper pulled again. "Let me see your face, Jack."

At the command, he immediately let go, seemingly helpless against the man who'd once been his entire world. 

"Let go of me, Gabriel."

"No." 

With the mask now gone, he began to gently caress Jack's face, seemingly lost in it. 

"You've aged well."

It was an instinctive response, and he quickly jerked his head away to keep from being pierced by the dagger-like fingertips pressed against his skin. 

"Flattering. You've still got it in you." He shot harshly. Gabe laughed again, noticing Jack's recoil, then moved his hand from Jack's face. He removed a clawed glove, revealing a familiar but scarred hand. He put the bare hand on his face. It's... cold. The chuckle sent a violent shiver down Jack's spine, his hands visibly trembling as he clenched them into fists at his sides, allowing Gabriel's cold hand to cup his cheek with inhuman gentleness.

"If you thought I was dead... how did you find me?"

"News spreads. Rumors of an old solider trying to taking down gangs and evil organizations. Bits and pieces of the tales started to comes together, and soon enough, it sounded like unmistakably you."

"So it seems my attempts to remain undercover have been for nothing. I shouldn't have expected anything less from you, Gabriel, you know me more than I do myself... I guess I'm only surprised because I wouldn't expect you to be able to show your face ever again... Does anyone else know what you did?"

"No, not that I know of." Reaper moved to remove his own mask, then stopped himself. "I missed you."

He froze, staring at Gabriel numbly, the phrase sounding foreign yet terribly familiar in a way that nearly made him sick to his stomach.

"Gabe..." He breathed softly, "Don't do this..."

"I want to so badly, but..." He turns away. "Not sure if you'd be willing to love a monster like me."

"You betrayed me," he called after Reaper, reaching out as his fingertips wrapped carefully around the man's arm, "You made me question everything that I'd ever known because you were the one I looked to for validation--" He swallowed the growing lump in his throat, "You are a monster, Gabriel...but I... but I can't help it...."

"Me neither, Jack." Reaper pulled off his mask, but was still turned away. The ghostly white mask clattered to the ground.

"Look at me," he begged quietly, "Don't you dare leave...not when you--" He fell silent at his mask fell away to the pavement beneath of their feet. "Reaper. That's what they call you, right? Don't walk away from me, _Reaper_."

He looked at Jack. His face was coated in scars, his canines animal-like, and those eyes. They were not human. Voids of black with crimson irises revealing his line of sight. But despite their inhuman appearance, those eyes showed human emotion, a pleading, as he looked into Jack's familiar and human eyes. "I don't know what to do now. I fucked up badly Jack."

The appearance that met him was something out of a horror film-- he was staring into the eyes of a monster-- a demon. It was all he could do not to run away in fear or attack him before he became its victim. No-- no, this was Gabriel...this was _his_ Gabriel. Behind the scars, behind the age, behind the pointed teeth that resembled fangs or the vermilion irises that set against the black like blood against snow, he could see it... the man he had come to call his friend...the person he'd once cared about most in the world. 

"You're okay, Gabe. It's okay..." He couldn't take it- he couldn't handle the distance. Quickly, Jack closed the gap between them, his breathing coming in shark, erratic gasps as he tried to swallow the sob bubbling up in his throat, "You came back for me..."

Gabe's smiling. Despite his inhuman look, that expression was still the same. Still Gabe. Tears began welling up in the corners of his hellish eyes. He wrapped his arms around Morrison, bring him in for a hug. 

"I missed you." Gabriel said it again, but this time it was gentler, and laced with raw emotion. "I missed you."

Jack felt his breath leave him as though he'd been hit square in the chest. It's been years since he'd felt Gabriel's touch, and years since he'd been conflicted between wanting to feel it again and wanting to kill the man the first glance he got of him. 

"I missed you too, Reyes... Oh, God... I did. How long has it been? You could have found me sooner... you could have come back..."

"I know, but I did not realize at the time. Dying and coming back messes with your head." In the embrace, their faces were against each other. Jack's skin was warm, but similar to his hand, Gabriel's face was cool. However, unlike his flesh, his tears were warm. Reyes started to cling to him almost desperately. 

"What happened to you?" He asked quietly, pressing the words into Gabriel's ear in hopes that his calming tone would prove in easing the man out of his frowning hysteria. "What in the hell happened?" His own hands rested carefully in the small of Gabriel's back, rubbing soothing circles into the arch of his spine. "You're okay, Gabe... I promise..."

"I went through hell and back. And I thought I'd left you in hell." His voice was shaky with a light sob. "I wanted to die so badly. But instead I... well, you know what happened."

Jack carefully pressed his face into the crook of Gabriel's neck. His entire body felt cold and lifeless, yet he was so full of emotion that he could hardly decide between the two. 

"You made a mistake... we've all made mistakes, Gabe, but you can't let them rule you... that's not how anyone should live. Forgive yourself... I've already forgiven you a hell of a long time ago."

Reyes moved back a bit, breaking his side of the hug to hold Morrison's face. His eyes pleaded. He moved his face closer to Jack's. The moment that Gabriel broke away from him, he tightened his grip around the man's waist as though actual that he'd suddenly dissolve in his grasp and slip away from him forever.

"I don't know what I did, Gabe, but I hurt you...I made you feel as if you couldn't talk to me...that's what made you do it, right? You felt alone and angry... I... I want us to be how we were before."

"Then let's." He kissed Jack on the lips, cautiously, waiting for Jack to return the kiss.

It was as though his brain had switched off the moment that cold, soft lips made contact with his own, for he stood, unresponsive, for a few long seconds before he shakily wrapped his arms around Gabriel's neck, holding him closer in an attempt to regain his bearings before his lips parted slightly and he let out a shaky breath into the man's mouth. Reyes kissed him again, more passionately, gripping Jack's head and neck. Jack still tasted the same, more or less, but Gabe now had a smokiness to his flavour. Jack can clearly remember his days back at the academy, nights spent with Gabriel as the two of them talked for hours on end until the sun just broke over the horizon and they had to depart for training... he could remember the time that they'd kissed for the very time. It was more or less an accident.

But this-- they different people now, and they hardly knew one another, yet it felt familiar: the way the held each other and the way instinct immediately took over. Jack hesitated for a moment before he broke away, clearly shaking as he stared at the man in quiet disbelief.

"I don't think I--"

"We should start anew. We could live somewhere far from here, we could... We could..." He started to tremble, tears rolling down his scarred cheeks. Suddenly, his tone changed to a serious one."But we can't, can we?"

It's a good idea-- it's a wonderful idea, but they both know it's one that can't be fulfilled.

"I want that, Gabriel... more than anything in the world. I want to forgive you... for everything to be alright... I want for us to... to be normal... Of course I do...!"

"But a tale of man and monster together is just a fairy-tale. I know. It was worth a shot. " He turned away, crouching down to retrieve his fallen mask. Jack quickly bent down to grab it before Gabriel could, holding the bone white mask against his chest.

"You're not a monster, Reyes. You've changed! You... you've changed..." He stepped closer again, desperately wanting to reinstate the contact they'd broken."Take me away from here, Gabriel Reyes. I've got nothing left to do here-- no one left to serve... We can do whatever we please."

Gave looked surprised at first, but it slowly melted into a smile. He almost didn't believe he's was hearing this, almost asking Morrison to repeat his words. He offered him his non-gloved hand. 

"Then where would you like to go, Jack?"

Jack took it without the slightest hint of hesitation, lacing their fingers together and giving his hand a reassuring squeeze.

"Away from here... away from the city and the people that we used to know and to a place where we can't be bothered... I want to be alone with you, Gabriel...I want us to be happy."

Gabriel chuckles, a light happy one. 

"Then let's go."

**Author's Note:**

> [Original Shamchat](http://www.shamchat.com/5fb10b6d/)


End file.
